The Black Swan
by Benevolous
Summary: Zuko's life has become meaningless - No avatar, no honor, no dignity. Working as a tea server in Ba Sing Se, Zuko has resigned himself to this life with his ever cheerful uncle...that is, until he meets Nina, a young woman with a dark and mysterious past that may give his life meaning again, or will she just destroy his tarnished soul even more?
1. Chapter 1

_Ba Sing Se_

"Good morning Prince Zuko!" Iroh exclaimed animatedly. Said prince had apparently just rolled out of bed, evidenced by the ruffled and pointy mess that was his hair and his eyes still half closed and crusted from sleep. Zuko merely grunted a greeting and plumped down on the small futon in the smaller living room of their newly acquired apartment in the Lower Ring of Ba Sing Se. "Come Zuko, today is a new day! We start our new jobs at the tea shop, and who knows, maybe someone will meet a pretty lady friend!" Iroh cooed with a not-so-subtle wink in the prince's direction. Zuko gave his uncle a deadpanned look, choosing not to reply, before rising from the couch lithely and moving towards the door to the bathing room.

"I'll be ready in fifteen, Uncle." He said with a backwards glance before closing the door behind him. Iroh sighed and returned to his brew of hot Ginseng in the little kitchen, shaking his head mournfully and hoping that someday, his nephew would find something other than hunting the avatar and fulfilling his father's destiny to motivate him to wake up with a purpose in the morning. Since travelling again with his nephew, Iroh has noticed a new side to Zuko. No more is he the angry, passionate, yelling young man he used to be. He's still angry, but it's a much quieter, more melancholy version of Zuko that has Iroh so worried. Just what was it that put his nephew in this sad state of mind? Was giving up the search for the Avatar and becoming fugitives of the Fire Nation going to be the undoing of his nephew?

_One week later_

"Uncle! Two Ginseng, one Jasmine!" Zuko barked into the kitchen in the back of the tea shop where his uncle was diligently brewing as fast as he could. The tea shop they worked at had a remarkable influx of new customers who longed to taste the tea brewed by the Tea Master himself, Mushi. The older man was extraordinarily pleased to become, literally, a hot commodity in the Lower Ring. His nephew, on the other hand, was much less enthusiastic. Grunting irritably at the full platter of tea cups and kettles, the young man moved about the shop, depositing his load to the various tables. Finally, as the sun began to set, the steady traffic developed into a lingering bit of customers who chatted animatedly and sighed happily at their tea. Zuko slumped against the counter-top and folded his arms across his broad chest.

He soon found himself not unwanted company in Iroh, who came out of the kitchen beaming ear to ear at his customers. He settled himself next to Zuko and leaned against the counter in amicable silence. Zuko felt his eyes drift close as he began to quietly meditate; that is, until he felt his uncle go rigid at his side. Zuko looked at Iroh, and noticed he seemed to be distracted by something towards the door of the tea shop. Following his uncle's gaze, he caught sight of a girl, perhaps no older than 15 or 16 – though it was hard to tell due to how thin she was – gracefully walk up to the counter. That was the first thing that caught and held Zuko's attention; her grace. She walked with cat-like litheness and a superior purpose in her set shoulders. Zuko immediately tensed and slightly shifted his position so if she were to attack, he would be able to defend his uncle.

Her eyes followed his movements precisely, smirking slightly at his new guarded position.

"Well hello there! Welcome to the Hot Kettle Tea Shop!" Iroh moved around Zuko to greet the new customer jovially. Her eyes shifted from Zuko to Iroh and her smirk lifted in to a genuine smile.

"Good afternoon, sir." She replied with a voice that was soft, but powerful. Zuko took these few seconds to study this new girl. She was tall, taller than his uncle but still about six inches smaller than himself; she had long arms and legs, accentuated by her thinness, which appeared to be from malnutrition rather than genetics, though she was still muscular, especially for a woman; her long hair was a startling gold color, something Zuko had never seen before; but it was her eyes, set in a pale, angular face that caught his attention. Her eyes were a misty blue-grey, but when they caught the light they flashed a cold yellow. Her eyes held vast knowledge; and they were as sharp as they were calculating. Zuko was knocked out of his reverie as she spoke again. "I don't mean to interrupt, but I've been living here for around a month and I've never seen this place so…lively. I came to see what all the commotion was about." She smiled genuinely at Iroh and shrugged her small shoulders delicately.

"Well, I am always happy to serve a young woman as beautiful as you, my dear. Please, have a seat anywhere you'd like. My nephew and I would be honored to serve you…?" He left the unspoken question hanging.

"Nina. My name is Nina." She smiled again and turned to a seat right at the counter.

"Excellent! Nina, such a strong name. Warrior, I believe it means, am I correct?" Iroh asked. Nina's eyebrows knitted together.

"Yes, I do believe that is the literal translation. Not many people know such an old language." Zuko wasn't sure, but he thought she might seem a bit weary. Nina, he knew, was a very old name. A Fire Nation name. He wondered if the girl's parents knew that.

"I count myself as one of the lucky few people privy to such knowledge of history and languages. I try to impart some of this on my nephew, don't I, Lee?" Iroh slapped Zuko's back lightly, making the younger man scowl before stomping back in to the kitchen, the mystery of the girl forgotten. Said girl's eyes followed his retreating figure with a contemplative look on her face.

"Don't mind my nephew, Nina. He's had a long week. He's still adjusting to life here in the city." Iroh said. Nina turned back to him and offered a small smile of understanding.

"I think we are all still adjusting, sir." She said sagely.

"Please, my dear, call me Mushi! Or Uncle Mushi if you prefer." Nina laughed lightly and ordered a cup of Iroh's favorite tea, which was Ginseng, of course. Iroh walked to the back kitchen to prepare his favorite brew and saw Zuko there, standing in the middle of the kitchen, arms crossed, brooding. When Iroh walked through the door, Zuko's eyes snapped up.

"Uncle! How could you talk to her like that? She's not some normal customer. She's got to be a spy, she knows who we are, she—"

"Lee!" His uncle interrupted, laughing. "Are you going to be distrustful of everyone that walks through the doors, or just the pretty ones?" He laughed again at his own joke before he started to bring the water for Nina's tea to a boil.

Zuko fumed. "Uncle, this is not a joke. You saw how she moved, you saw how she studied us. She's not normal. What about her hair? I've never seen that color before. She's probably out there right now, collecting evidence she's going to use to get us turned in to the Earth King, or worse, the Fire Nation." Zuko huffed and began pacing. Iroh sighed and caught his nephew by the shoulders, looking in to his eyes.

"Zuko. Enough. We are safe here. The chase for the Avatar is over! Not everyone has a motive to kill us! We have settled down, we have made a life! Finally, a life Zuko! You can be a normal teenager for once" at this, Zuko snorted in derision, "I'm serious. Its time for you to realise that life isn't about the hunt for the Avatar or your honor anymore. Its about you finding yourself, learning what this beautiful life of yours is really about. We are all put here for a reason, my nephew, and soon, I know you will learn what that truly means." Iroh gently patted Zuko's back. "Now, please go serve that poor child her tea, Nephew. And bring her some moon cakes, she looks half starved!"

Zuko grimaced but did as he was told. He prepared a platter for the mysterious girl, which consisted of her tea, the moon cakes (homemade by Iroh himself of course), and a small bowl of rice. He picked up his platter, took a deep breath, and plastered a somewhat pleasant expression on his face before he stepped through the swinging doors, immediately meeting the pale eyes of his... customer?


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N**

**Just wanted to clear some things up - this takes place completely canon up to this point. The Gaang is in the Upper Ring getting into a number of different shenanigans, but for the time being, our story will only focus on Zuko, Iroh, and Nina. They also will get into a number of shenanigans in the near future Let me know how you like Nina so far! You will learn much more about her history...as soon as Zuko does! ;)**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. Except Nina. She's mine. No touchy.**

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I watched as the scarred server boy walked through the swinging doors to the main part of the tea shop with a slightly disgruntled look on his face. I chuckled under my breath when I realised he was trying to force his tense face into somewhat of a pleasant expression, failing wholeheartedly at it. As he made his way towards me I smiled slightly, trying to wipe the ever present sarcastic smirk from my face. He dropped the platter on the counter.

"Here you are." He said, looking at his hands.

"Thank you, Lee." I said as pleasantly as I could manage. As I began to pour my tea, I noticed a second cup. "Sit down." He blanched.

"What?"

"I said sit down. Your uncle put two cups on my tray. And, as starved as I may look, I highly doubt I could finish both the rice and all these moon cakes by myself." He floundered for a bit, seeming to look for a way out, and, seeing none, took the seat next to mine. I poured him a cup of the steaming tea.

"So," I said, bringing the cup to my lips and blowing on the hot brew, "how long have you been in the city?" I thought it was a harmless enough question, but he stiffened; I wondered if he was always as jumpy as a polar bear-dog pup.

"I - well, that is to say, we - have been here for about a month and a half." He looked away, seemingly shocked by his own admission at how long he had been residing in the Lower Ring. "And yourself?"

"About the same. I've been working for a local man and his wife in exchange for lodging and food." He seemed confused.

"What about your family?"

"Dead." I said with such a finality that it seemed to startle him. I grinned internally; there wasn't much love lost between my parents and I (spirits rest their souls).

"I'm sorry to hear that." He mumbled into his tea. I grimaced - pity was something I wasn't unaccustomed to receiving, however grudgingly received it was.

"Don't be. I hardly remember them anyway. It's been years." I sighed. I really didn't want to talk about the past with this boy. Man. Man-boy. Whatever. "How old are you?" I felt like I was going through a list of interview questions. It was usually second nature for me to make conversation and charm people, but Lee was different...and I wasn't sure if that was a good or bad thing.

"Um. I turn eighteen next week." He said, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly.

"Oh. That's nice. Any plans?" I asked, hoping I wasn't prying again.

"No...celebrating my name day isn't something I've done in many years." I huffed.

"And why not? Do you think your 'too old and mature' for such a silly thing?" I said, making hand gestures to show how little I thought of that excuse. Even in my self-imposed exile I made a point to celebrate my day of birth. It may not have included any party's with friends, but still, I managed with what little I had.

"No. I mean, sometimes my uncle would drag me around whatever town we happened to be in and try to get me to have fun, but it never ended...well." My curiosity was severely piqued; apparently this boy and his uncle also lived a nomadic lifestyle. I smiled genuinely. I would make it my personal mission to make sure Lee enjoyed his name day. Something told me it would take a lot of kicking and screaming on his part...hmm, maybe I could enlist his uncle's help. I was pulled from my musings by Lee shifting in his seat, obviously wondering why I wasn't replying. I changed the subject so he wouldn't get suspicious.

"How do you like living here?" I asked, and laughed lightly at the expression on his face. "Oh, come on, it has to be better than where you were before, otherwise you wouldn't have ended up here. The Lower Ring of Ba Sing Se is for the truly desperate." He scowled.

"I was perfectly...content before living here." I could tell he wasn't giving me the whole truth; a content existence wasn't necessarily a happy one.

"I had a life before this place. A purpose. A destiny. Now I'm here, serving to peasants." I narrowed my eyes.

"What does that make you then? If not a peasant? If not one of the lowly beggars haunting these desolate streets, then what are you? You don't know the story of any one of us. I could be royalty for all you know." I shook my head at his snort of disbelief. "You know nothing, Lee. Nothing about me or any of these people. And, I'll have you know, there are some damn decent people living here in squalor and working for a pittance. So be grateful you have your uncle, your home, and your job. It could be much worse." And with that I downed my tea, grabbed a mooncake - ignoring Lee's stunned expression - and swept out of the shop, with a parting gesture towards Mushi; he, at least, had my respect. His nephew...Damn he grated on my nerves.

...

"Well. I suppose that could have gone better. Just what did you say to upset the young lady?" Zuko hadn't noticed his uncle slide into the now unoccupied seat next to his, still staring after the girl with the sharp tongue and contrarily graceful gait. Zuko shook his head.

"I'm not sure. I think I may have offended her." Zuko was uncharacteristically confused, therefore telling his uncle exactly what was on his mind. "We were just discussing the lack of propriety in my serving peasants and she went into this tirade about 'decent people' and 'being grateful' and other nonsense before stomping off...Ow!" Zuko yelled, indignant, rubbing the sore spot where Iroh had swatted the back of his head.

"Lee, how could you be so crass? Have I taught you nothing? You certainly did not inherit my natural charm with the ladies." Zuko's lips twitched and Iroh chuckled. "Lee, my dear nephew. I don't know if it will take a slap to the back of the head," Zuko ducked instinctively, "or a raging young woman to make you understand that you are not so different from these people. Especially now, in our current state. Look around," Iroh swept his hand dramatically, from patron to patron, which included a couple of soldiers sharing in some epic story that necessitated wild hand gestures and odd noises that seemed to resemble war cries, to a couple holding hands in the very front corner of the shop, to a family - a husband and wife, with their two children - laughing about some private joke, and back to themselves. "Though we come from different parts of the world, though we are raised in different cultures, taught different histories, we are essentially all the same. We weep when we lose the ones we love, we embrace the warm comforts of home and family, and we cling to the traditions of our people. We live, we love, and we die, all the same. Strip away titles and nations and what are we? Human. Perhaps this young lady will be able to open your eyes, my nephew, to see that we are not so different. That is, if she ever decides to give you another chance." Iroh chuckled and patted Zuko on the back, before returning to his post in the kitchen. Zuko, stubborn as ever, crossed his arms and pursed his lips as he watched the patrons around him continue to enjoy their evening...and their tea!

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_Authors note - _

_WOW! I honestly didn't think I'd have much interest in my story...The only reason I posted was because I've had a fanfiction account for a while but I've never had the courage to post what I wrote. This chapter and its predecessor are the only full chapters I have written so far - I have an outline, backstory's, etc, but as for full chapters these are the only two completed. I am a huuuuuuge Zutara fan and I have read so many amazing epics about their should-have-been-I-mean-seriously-yo romance (and I may end up writing one, I have many many ideas floating around in my head), but I wanted to write my own to satisfy my burgeoning creative mind. This author's note is becoming far too long, so I'll see you off with a light warning: I am a full-time student with a part-time job and a part-time social life. I've not claimed to be and will never claim to be a professional writer. I write when I the creative juices flow and when I have the motivation to write. All the same, I thank you all for reading, reviewing, and simply giving me and my story a chance. I'll answer some review questions in the next update, so if you want your question answered (no spoilers!) simply leave it in a review. Thanks guys,_

_xx Charlotte_


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